Department for Transport

Motorways: Accidents

Lord Goodlad: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many fatal accidents per kilometre there have been on (1) smart motorways, and (2) regular motorways, in each of the last two years.

Lord Goodlad: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to establish a review on how to improve the safety of smart motorways.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The most recent data on fatalities published is for 2017 and 2018. For smart motorways (this includes All Lane Running, Dynamic Hard Shoulder and Controlled Motorways), there were 8 fatalities in 2017 and 19 in 2018. This is compared with 83 fatalities on Conventional Motorways in 2017 and 67 in 2018. While this metric for fatalities gives us an understanding about safety on different road types, it does not consider the volume of traffic on these roads and how intensely they are used. The fatal casualty rate, which are fatalities per hundred million vehicle miles travelled, accounts for the volume of traffic that roads carry. The most recent data in the table below shows that fatal casualty rates on smart motorways are lower than on conventional motorways: Motorway type Fatal casualty rates per hundred million vehicle miles Controlled Motorways 0.07 per hundred million vehicle milesDynamic Hard Shoulder 0.07 per hundred million vehicle milesAll Lane Running 0.11 per hundred million vehicle milesConventional Motorways 0.16 per hundred million vehicle milesFatal casualty rates per hundred million vehicle miles, 2015-2018. Following concerns about smart motorway safety the Secretary of State asked the department to review the evidence and, if needed, bring forward recommendations. The conclusions were published in March 2020. Overall what the evidence in the Smart Motorway Safety Evidence Stocktake and Action Plan shows is that in most ways, smart motorways are as safe as, or safer than, the conventional ones. To ensure that smart motorways are as safe as they can be, alongside the safety evidence stocktake, we published an 18-point Action Plan. Highways England is implementing the Action Plan in full and has already completed work, including the provision of 10 additional emergency areas on the M25 and making all emergency areas more visible by introducing a bright orange surface and better, more frequent signs.

Buses: Exhaust Emissions

Baroness Randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Spending Review 2020, published on 25 November 2020, by what date they estimate that orders for the "800 cleaner, greener, quieter zero emission buses" will need to be placed for delivery in financial year 2021/22.

Baroness Randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Spending Review 2020, published on 25 November 2020, what analysis they have undertaken on how the "800 cleaner, greener, quieter zero emission buses" can be delivered in financial year 2021/22; and whether they plan to publish any such analysis.

Baroness Randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Spending Review 2020, published on 25 November 2020, how they plan to fund the “800 cleaner, greener, quieter zero emission buses" in financial year 2021/22; and when they plan to begin the procurement of such buses.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: As set out in the Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution and the Spending Review 2020 the Government will invest £120 million in 2021-22 to start the delivery of the 4,000 zero emission buses announced by the Prime Minister last year. Together with existing funding for the All Electric Bus Town or City, Government funding could support the purchase of 800 zero emission buses and the infrastructure needed to support them. The Department is considering all funding mechanisms in delivering the first of the 4,000 zero emission buses and the infrastructure needed to support them. Further details on how funding will be distributed will be announced in the spring.

High Speed 2 Railway Line: Chilterns

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by the Chiltern Society Area of Neighbourly Behaviour? HS2 in the Chilterns since Notice to Proceed, published on 14 January; what plans they have to follow up the concerns raised in that report that HS2 has failed to comply with assurances given to petitioners during the Hybrid Bill process; and what plans they have to place a copy of their response to this report in the Library of the House.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: At this stage of the HS2 construction programme, the Government appreciates that communities are mostly experiencing negative impacts from the project, such as road closures and other visible changes in their areas, like the removal of trees. A lot of effort has been invested in minimising these impacts, as well as in increasing the volume and quality of community engagement activity along the route. Further improvement is a key focus for the Government, and it is accepted that more can be done to ensure that local communities are given ample warning of significant changes in their area and that concerns are dealt with promptly and sensitively.The Chiltern Society report referred to in the question contains an account of complaints, most of which have already been raised on an individual basis with HS2 Ltd or with the Department for Transport and are the subject of ongoing correspondence. For this reason, the Government has no plans to issue a formal response. The Government will however consider the contents of the report and work with HS2 Ltd to review and address the issues raised, where it is appropriate to do so.On a project the size of HS2, it is inevitable that problems will arise and that contractors will sometimes get things wrong. Where this is the case, the Government expects HS2 Ltd to resolve matters swiftly. The Government is also committed to embedding a culture of continuous improvement in the way HS2 Ltd interacts with local communities.

High Speed 2 Railway Line: Finance

Lord Storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much money has been (1) budgeted, and (2) spent, on HS2 (a) in the London area within the M25, and (b) outside the London area.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: Specific information on funds spent and budgeted on HS2 inside and outside the London area is not available. However, investment in HS2 will bring greater connectivity to the Midlands and the North and generate transformational economic benefits, helping to achieve our plans to level up the country and play a key role in reaching our 2050 carbon net zero objectives.

Transport for the North: Finance

Baroness Randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government why they have cut funding entirely for the smart ticketing project fromTransport for the North's budget for the next financial year; and what plans they have to reinstate funding for this project in future years.

Baroness Randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government why they have cut Transport for the North’s core budget for the next financial year by 40 per cent; and what assessment they have made of the impact of this cut on their levelling-up agenda.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The Government is committed to levelling up every part of this country, including the North. This is reflected in the recent Spending Review, which included funding for key transport infrastructure projects and programmes in the North. The most recent allocation of core funding to Transport for the North will enable the organisation to continue to play a valuable role in delivering its statutory functions of developing a transport strategy for the region and helping the Department with prioritisation and bringing strength of partnership among members to speak to the Government with one voice. The Department will continue to work with TfN to achieve our shared ambition of world-class transport infrastructure in the region. TfN was allocated up to £150 million at the 2015 Spending Review to support its Integrated and Smart Travel programme, with this multi-year funding allocation expiring at the end of the current financial year. TfN has utilised around £24 million to enable the roll-out of smart ticketing across the north. We are now considering how best to deliver the rollout of smart ticketing to improve passenger services across the region. Transport funding for future years will be a matter for the next Spending Review.

Bus Services and Trams: Finance

Baroness Randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the benefits of providing one funding package for bus and tram services on an area rather than a modal basis.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The Government has provided separate funding packages for Bus and Light Rail services. On 8 August, the Government announced funding at up to £27.3 million per week to support the bus sector through the Covid-19 Bus Services Support Grant (CBSSG) Restart scheme, until a time when the funding is no longer needed. On 22 October, the Government announced up to £67.8 million of funding for light rail services in Manchester, Tyne and Wear, Sheffield, West Midlands, Nottingham and Blackpool. This includes up to £35.4 million for light rail services for the 12 weeks from 27 October and a further indicative allocation of up to £32.4 million for the 11 weeks thereafter. Providing separate funding packages for Bus and Light Rail services has allowed the Government to respond to the specific needs of transport operators in terms of supporting essential journeys throughout the pandemic. The allocation of CBSSG funding reflects the structure of the bus market and ensures that both Local Transport Authorities and operators have the funding they need to support up to 100% of pre-pandemic service levels, where it is safe and appropriate to do so.

Bus Services: Finance

Baroness Randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they plan to announce funding to support bus services during the COVID-19 pandemic after current funding runs out at the end of March; and what plans they have to announce funding that will cover the full 2021/22 financial year.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: On 8 August, the Government announced rolling funding of up to £27.3 million a week to support bus services until a time when funding is no longer needed. Government does not have defined conditions for winding down the funding, but instead will continue to work with bus operators and local authorities to review when it is appropriate to end the funding.

Airports: Safety

Viscount Waverley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to accelerate safe travel through UK airports, including through testing and use of other technology.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The Government has introduced mandatory pre-departure testing for international travellers to England from outside the Common Travel Area. Persons arriving in England from 04:00 on Monday 18 January must comply with the new requirement. Travellers must take a test no more than 3 days prior to departure to England, and will only be permitted to travel if they have proof of a negative result. This action helps to protect fellow travellers from the risk of transmission of Coronavirus during travel itself. All other border measures, such as completing the passenger locator form and the requirement to self-isolate for 10 days on arrival (or 5 days with test to release), remain in place, and must be adhered to regardless of the pre-departure test result.

Department for Education

Teachers: Training

Lord Patten: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment, if any, they have made of new religious teachers across different faith groups in England and Wales being assessed and trained through internal monitoring; and whether they consider this self-regulation adequate.

Baroness Berridge: Providing the best possible initial teacher training (ITT) is at the heart of the government’s drive to improve teaching standards. In order to be awarded qualified teacher status (QTS) for all subjects and phases, including Religious Education, trainees must demonstrate that they have met the Teachers’ Standards (2011), which include a requirement that they demonstrate good subject and curriculum knowledge, and do not undermine fundamental British values, such as tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs.It is for accredited ITT providers who deliver teacher training to use their professional judgement to design and deliver the courses, but they must ensure that the content, structure, and assessment of programmes are designed to enable trainee teachers to meet all the Teachers’ Standards for QTS across the age range of training. This includes Religious Education. The mandatory ITT criteria sets out the requirements that ITT providers must adhere to in order to remain compliant, this can be accessed here https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/initial-teacher-training-criteria/initial-teacher-training-itt-criteria-and-supporting-advice#c21-programmes.Accredited ITT providers have full discretion in assessing trainee ability to meet the Teachers’ Standards and recommending QTS. ITT providers must ensure that no trainee teacher is recommended for the award of QTS until they have met all the standards. Furthermore, Ofsted is responsible for testing the quality of teacher training and currently 100% of ITT providers are rated good or outstanding.In addition, the performance of Newly Qualified Teachers (NQTs) is assessed frequently throughout their induction period. The Appropriate Body (AB) has the main quality assurance role within the induction process and makes the final decision as to whether an NQT continues to meet the Teachers’ Standards (based on the headteacher / principal’s recommendation). Further information about ABs and the induction period for NQTs is set out at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/923070/Statutory_Induction_Guidance_2019.pdf.

Outdoor Education: Finance

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to provide additional support to outdoor education centres.

Baroness Berridge: Throughout the COVID-19 outbreak, the Government has sought to protect people’s jobs and livelihoods across the UK, support businesses, and public services. The Government has spent over £280 billion to do so. This includes small business grants, the coronavirus loan guarantee schemes, the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS), the deferral of VAT and income tax payments, and more. The measures introduced have been designed to be accessible to businesses in most sectors and across the UK. Further measures have been announced by my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, that build on the significant support already available as well as set out how current support will evolve and adapt. These include the extension of the CJRS until the end of April 2021, the extension of the deadline for applications for the Bounce Back Loan scheme and other loan schemes until 31 March 2021, and increased support for the self-employed through the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme grants. Furthermore, businesses in England that are forced to close due to national or local restrictions will be able to claim up to £3,000 per month. Local authorities in England will also receive one-off funding of £1.1 billion to support businesses more broadly over the coming months as a key part of local economies. Further support for businesses was announced on 5 January 2021: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/46-billion-in-new-lockdown-grants-to-support-businesses-and-protect-jobs. The Government will continue to work closely with local authorities, businesses, business representative organisations, and the financial services sector to monitor the implementation of current support and understand whether there is additional need. Businesses can also access tailored advice through the Business Support Helpline (FREEPHONE 0800 998 1098), via the Business Support website at: www.gov.uk/business-support-helpline or through their local Growth Hubs in England.

Training: Unemployed People

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the adequacy of funding for education and skills provision to help unemployed people; and what recent discussions they have had, if any, about that funding.

Baroness Berridge: The department wants to ensure that a wide range of opportunities are available to people of all ages. Anyone who becomes unemployed for whatever reason can access a range of provision to meet their future skills needs, and funding for this will depend on age and prior attainment.Adult skills are key in supporting the economy and tackling disadvantage and so we are continuing to invest in education and skills training for adults through the Adult Education Budget (AEB) (£1.34 billion in the 2020/21 academic year). The AEB fully funds or co-funds skills provision for eligible adults aged 19 and above from pre-entry to Level 3, to support adults to gain the skills they need for work, an apprenticeship or further learning and training up to Level 2 for unemployed people aged 19 and over.In July, my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, announced a £500 million package of support to ensure young people can access the training, and develop the skills they will need, to go on to high-quality, secure, and fulfilling employment including: incentive payments for employers to take on apprentices; tripling the number of traineeships; and an additional £17 million in the 2020/21 financial year to support an increase in the number of sector-based work academy programme placements. This additional funding will enable unemployed individuals acquire the skills needed for local jobs.Starting this year, the government is investing £2.5 billion (£3 billion when including Barnett funding for devolved administrations) in the National Skills Fund. This is a significant investment and has the potential to deliver new opportunities to generations of adults who may have been previously left behind.The Chancellor of the Exchequer announced £375 million for the National Skills Fund at the Spending Review in November 2020. This includes £95 million funding for a new Level 3 adult offer and £43 million for Skills Bootcamps, as part of the Lifetime Skills Guarantee.From April 2021, any adult aged 24 and over who is looking to achieve their first full Level 3, which is equivalent to an advanced technical certificate or diploma, or two full A levels, will be able to access a fully funded course which will give them new skills and greater prospects in the labour market. Currently, adults between the ages of 19 to 23 are eligible for full funding for their first full Level 3. This offer will ensure that adults aged 24 and over are now able to access their first full, fully funded, Level 3 qualification.We have also introduced the Skills Bootcamps, which are free, flexible courses of up to 16 weeks, giving people the opportunity to build up sector-specific skills and fast-track to an interview with a local employer. Skills Bootcamps have the potential to transform the skills landscape for adults and employers.The Skills Bootcamps are open to all adults aged 19 or over, who are either in work or recently unemployed. Further to this, we have now opened an Invitation to Tender to extend Skills Bootcamps to more areas, and to cover not only digital skills but also technical skills training including engineering and construction. This will enable us to assist employers across England to fill their in-demand vacancies and we anticipate training upwards of 25,000 individuals.The government plans to consult on the National Skills Fund in spring 2021 to ensure that we develop a fund that helps adults learn valuable skills and prepares them for the economy of the future.Also, as part of the Lifetime Skills Guarantee, my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister, has announced a lifelong loan entitlement. This will make is easier for all adults to study more flexibly, allowing them to space out their studies across their lifetimes, transfer credits between colleges and universities, and enable more part-time study.

Apprentices: Digital Technology

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to encourage private companies to provide digital resources to apprentices.

Baroness Berridge: We are committed to supporting apprentices and employers to safely continue with, and complete, their programmes during the COVID-19 outbreak.Following the announcement of a new national lockdown on 4 January 2021, employers and training providers must ensure that training takes place remotely. Face to face training can continue for vulnerable young apprentices, which includes 16 to 18 year olds who may have difficulty engaging with remote training at home due to a lack of devices or connectivity. It can also continue in employers’ COVID-secure settings where it is essential for workers to attend their workplace, and where it is safe and practical to do so. Employers are responsible for providing their employees, including apprentices, with the tools they need to work remotely and should support apprentices with the digital resources they need to also continue their apprenticeships training remotely.To support businesses during this time, we have extended the incentive payments for employers of up to £2000 for each new apprentice they hire until the end of March 2021. Employers can use this funding to help meet any of the costs associated with supporting a new apprentice in the workplace, including providing laptops and other resources for learning.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Coronavirus: Protective Clothing and Vaccination

Lord Field of Birkenhead: To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made towards ensuring the secure supply of (1) vaccines, and (2) personal protective equipment.

Lord Callanan: The UK was the first country in the world to start a vaccination programme using the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, followed by the AstraZeneca/Oxford University vaccine. We have signed deals for substantial future supply of both vaccines to replenish our stocks and to enable swift vaccination across the UK in the months ahead. Our supply and scheduled deliveries of these vaccines will fully support vaccination of priority cohorts 1 to 4, as advised by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, by the middle of February. The Government has also been working tirelessly to deliver personal protective equipment (PPE) to protect our frontline workers throughout the pandemic. We have significantly strengthened and diversified our supply chains for PPE, looking to new suppliers abroad as well as boosting our domestic manufacturing capability. This has helped to build our resilience into the future. We have ordered almost 32 billion items of PPE (of which the majority has been delivered or is on its way) to provide a continuous supply to the frontline over the coming months. As of December 2020, the Government had built a four-month stockpile of all COVID-critical PPE, with a tremendous contribution from UK manufacturers.

Freezers: Production

Lord Campbell-Savours: To ask Her Majesty's Government what production capacityis available for the (1) manufacture, and (2) supply, of sub-60 degrees freezers in the UK.

Lord Callanan: The Government has engaged in strategic procurement activity to ensure that we have the necessary ultra-low cold chain capacity needed for the storage and distribution of our portfolio of COVID-19 vaccines.

Service Industries: UK Trade with EU

Viscount Waverley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to formulate a strategy for trade in services with the EU at a (1) bilateral, and (2) multilateral, level.

Lord Callanan: Through the Trade and Cooperation Agreement, the UK and EU have agreed provisions on trade in services in line with our respective FTAs with Japan, but with some additional benefits for both sides. We have secured commitments in line with our objectives as set out in the UK Approach Document, meaning the agreement will promote cross border trade in services by providing service suppliers and investors with transparency and certainty about future trade with the EU at the multilateral level. More broadly, the UK is working at multilateral forums to encourage greater services trade liberalisation. The agreement additionally includes provisions that will enable many UK businesses to continue to operate across borders without the need to establish in the EU and will afford them the clarity and transparency they need to navigate diverse Member State regimes at a bilateral level.

UK Trade with EU: Regulation

Viscount Waverley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to reduce the administrative burden on trade with the EU; and what options there could be to reduce that burden through a 'one-in, two-out' rule.

Lord Callanan: Our trade deal with the EU includes wide-ranging provisions that seek to facilitate trade by avoiding unnecessary regulatory barriers. It provides an overarching framework for cooperation between the UK and EU on the regulatory matters affecting trade, as appropriate for two independent partners, and enables both sides to reduce costs in the longer term. We continue to strive to ensure that the UK’s regulatory system is world-leading and achieves the right balance between supporting excellent business practices and stimulating innovation, investment and trade while protecting workers, consumers, and the environment.

Housing: Insulation

Lord Foster of Bath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what financial levers or incentives they are considering, if any, to persuade people to insulate their homes to Energy Performance Certificate band C levels.

Lord Callanan: Several government-funded schemes are in place to improve the energy efficiency of homes by installing insulation, most of which focus on homes with low-energy performance, and fuel poor homes. The £1.5 billion Green Homes Grant Voucher Scheme aims to deliver upgrades to 600,000 homes across England, with insulation forming one of the groups of primary measures available. Support is available for low-energy performing (rated EPC D or below) and fuel poor homes through the £500 million Local Authority Delivery (LAD) Green Homes Grant Scheme, and low-income and vulnerable households through the GB wide Energy Company Obligation (ECO) worth £640m per year until March 2022. Lastly, the £50 million Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund Demonstrator (SHDF(D)) aims to help Local Authorities retrofit social housing at scale and upgrade the energy performance of poorer-performing homes. We have committed a further £60 million for the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF) to continue upgrading the least efficient social housing.

Energy

Lord Foster of Bath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to publish an Energy Bill or a draft Energy Bill this year.

Lord Callanan: The Government intends to bring forward an Energy Bill as soon as parliamentary time allows. The Energy Bill will aim to enable progress to be made on commitments made by the Prime Minister in his Ten Point Plan as well as deliver policy commitments set out in the Energy White Paper.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Landlords: Coronavirus

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to introduce specific financial support for landlords who have lost rent as a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lord Greenhalgh: We are supporting landlords by supporting tenants to continue paying rent. This includes support for businesses to pay staff salaries through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, which has now been extended until the end of April 2021. We have also introduced a substantial package of wider measures in 2020/21 to help those who are facing financial disruption during the current situation.The recently published EHS Household Resilience Study found that 93 per cent of private renters are up to date on their rent. This indicates our package of support is working, and has prevented widespread arrears.Where landlords find themselves in coronavirus-related hardship, mortgage lenders have agreed to offer payment holidays of up to six months, including for buy-to-let mortgages. The application window is open until 31 March 2021.The FCA has been clear that for borrowers who have taken six months’ holiday and continue to face ongoing financial difficulties, firms should continue to provide support through tailored forbearance options.

Leasehold

Lord Truscott: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the affordability of leaseholders extending their leases by 990 years.

Lord Truscott: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact that proposals to extend leases to a minimum of 990 years could have on the interests of freeholders.

Lord Truscott: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of leaseholders who will be able to afford extending their leaseholds by 990 years.

Lord Greenhalgh: Long leases provide long term security for leaseholders and save them money by avoiding the need for multiple lease extensions The Government remains committed to promoting fairness and transparency for homeowners and ensuring that consumers are protected from abuse and poor service.   Our reforms seek to achieve this, by taking account of the legitimate rights of freeholders but addressing historic imbalance to ensure fairness for leaseholders. We will continue to ensure we meet this objective as we bring forward reforms.   In line with usual practice, the Government’s intention would be to publish an impact assessment on our leasehold reforms as part of taking primary legislation through Parliament.

Leasehold

Lord Truscott: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Statement by the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on 11 January (HCWS695), whether leaseholders will retain the right to extend their leases by 90 years.

Lord Greenhalgh: The Government remains committed to promoting fairness and transparency for homeowners and ensuring that consumers are protected from abuse and poor service.Through our reforms the length of a statutory lease extension will increase to 990 years, replacing the current 90 years for flats and 50 years for houses. Long leases provide long term security for leaseholders now and in the future and save money by avoiding the need for multiple lease extensions.

Leasehold: Reform

Lord Truscott: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effect of their proposed leasehold reforms on the break-up of large freehold estates in major cities like London.

Lord Greenhalgh: The Government remains committed to promoting fairness and transparency for homeowners and ensuring that consumers are protected from abuse and poor service.Our reforms seek to achieve this, by taking account of the legitimate rights of freeholders but addressing historic imbalance to ensure fairness for leaseholders. We will continue to ensure we meet this objective as we bring forward reforms.

Flats: Leasehold

Lord Truscott: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact that the extension of leases by 990 years by all leaseholders in a block of flats would have on the viability of commonhold.

Lord Greenhalgh: The Government will establish a new Commonhold Council as a partnership of industry, leaseholders and Government that will prepare homeowners and the market for the widespread take-up of commonhold Long leases provide long term security for leaseholders now and in the future and save money by avoiding the need for multiple lease extensions. Through our reforms, the length of a statutory lease extension will increase to 990 years, from 90 years (for flats) and 50 years (for houses). Leaseholders will be able to extend their lease as often as they wish with zero ground rent.

Rented Housing: Coronavirus

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to provide financial support to tenants who have accrued rent arrears as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lord Greenhalgh: The UK Government has provided an unprecedented package of financial support which is available to tenants, and we continue to closely monitor the impacts of Covid-19 upon renters.Notably, we have increased the local housing allowance rate to the 30th percentile. The increased LHA rates are expected to provide 1.5 million claimants with around £600 per year of housing support more than they would otherwise have received. This measure maintains that significant increase for all rates, by protecting the rates at the current levels in cash terms in 2021/22, even in areas where the 30th percentile of local rents has gone down. This continued investment in the LHA will support claimants in the private rented sector to manage housing costs. We also increased Universal Credit and Working Tax Credit by up to £1,040 for the year. The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme has offered support for business to pay staff salaries, enabling people to continue to pay their rent and has been extended until April 2021.For those who require additional support, Discretionary Housing Payments are available. As announced at the spending round for 2020/21, there is already £180 million in Discretionary Housing Payments for Local Authorities to distribute for supporting renters with housing costs in the private and social rented sectors. For 2021-22 the Government will make available £140 million in DHP funding, which takes account of the increased LHA rates. These interventions offer a more appropriate and sustainable form of support for vulnerable renters.The recently published EHS Household Resilience Study found that 93 per cent of private renters are up to date on their rent. This indicates our package of support is working, and has prevented widespread arrears.

Armed Forces: Coronavirus

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask Her Majesty's Government (1) how much money has been allocated in total to the COVID-19 Secure Marshal programme, (2) how many marshals have been employed, (3) for how long such marshals have been contracted to work, (4) in which local authorities those marshals are located, and (5) what assessmentthey have made of the impact of such marshals onthe level of adherence to social distancing rules.

Lord Greenhalgh: In October last year, the Government announced £30 million of ringfenced grant funding to unitary and lower tier authorities to support COVID-19 compliance and enforcement activity. The funding can be used for a range of activity to encourage business, individual and community adherence to COVID-19 rules. It is ringfenced for any activity which will support compliance and enforcement of COVID-19 regulations guidance, including funding for COVID-19 Marshals or their equivalents such as stewards or ambassadors, thereby helping to control the spread of COVID-19 across individuals, businesses and in the community.Local authorities are best placed to determine how best to use their grant allocations to encourage adherence to COVID-19 rules. To date, authorities have reported grant allocations have been used to recruit COVID-19 Marshals or their equivalents and for overtime costs of existing staff, staff training to work on COVID-19 compliance and communications activity to promote understanding of COVID-19 regulatory and guidance requirements. The Department has issued a request for all local authorities in receipt of the grant to report the activity funded and its impact.

Ministry of Justice

Dartmoor Prison: Coronavirus

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether any prisoners in HMP Dartmoor who have tested positive for COVID-19 are confined to cells for 24-hours per day without access to showers; if so, (1) how many prisoners are being so confined, (2) how long they expect that confinement to continue, and (3) what assessment they have made of the impact of any such confinement on the mental health of prisoners.

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many prisons, other than HMP Dartmoor, have used 24-hour lock-ups to address the transmission of COVID-19; and what measures are in place, or planned, to improve access to education and training throughout the prison estate.

Lord Wolfson of Tredegar: HMP Dartmoor is delivering essential elements of prison regime even during the current restrictions. In each 24-hour period, prisoners are allowed phone calls (mobile phones when required for isolators), time in the open air, showers, meals and medication distribution. Even for those who are Covid-19 positive and in isolation, showers are facilitated in prisoner groups. Regime is additionally supplemented through access to gymnasium, keywork sessions and wellbeing checks, chaplaincy services, visits, video calls and other localised activities. Between 30 November 2020 and 11 January 2021, prisoners at HMP Dartmoor averaged 1.3 hours out of cell per day.These measures are in line with the requirements of the National Framework for Prison Regimes and Services. Following the Prime Minister’s announcement of 4 January, all prisons changed their regimes because of the growing rate of infection within the community. All adult prisons are currently in a stage four regime as outlined in the National Framework to reduce contact between people and therefore reduce the chance of transmission. All prisons are required to deliver the essential elements of prison regime as outlined above. We have also introduced a range of measures and products designed to manage prisoners with specific needs, including mental health needs. The National Framework also provides a roadmap for easing restrictions in prisons when it becomes appropriate, guided by public health advice, alongside an operational assessment of what can be achieved in custodial settings while keeping staff and those in our care safe.

Prisoners' Transfers: Coronavirus

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they estimate that transfers between prisons will resume, in particular transfers from closed to open prison conditions.

Lord Wolfson of Tredegar: In March 2020 temporary restrictions were put in place to minimise movements between jails. As at 12th January 2021 inter-prison transfers (including transfers from closed to open prisons) have not been stopped entirely as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and we continue safely to undertake inter-prison transfers, where required. Transfers between prisons, particularly progressive transfers to open and resettlement prisons, are necessary in order to ensure that space remains within local/reception prisons to accept new receptions from court and to ensure prisoners are held in prisons providing an appropriate level of security.In order to control the transmission of the virus, prisoners who are transferred to another prison are quarantined upon arrival in order to manage any risks they might bring and protect the rest of a prison’s population. As of 14th January 2021, we are also testing all new arrivals and transfers twice in the first 6 days in 109 prisons across the estate. We continue to explore testing technologies and opportunities in this area. Any prisoners with positive results or symptomatic prisoners are not transferred. This approach ensures that any infection that occurs amongst the arriving cohort is limited only to those with whom they have arrived.Whilst transfers into the majority of prisons have not ceased, specific prisons may have temporarily to pause their transfers in/out in the event of a declared outbreak. The timeframes associated with this pause, as well as the recovery measures required, are monitored nationally by HMPPS and taken in close consultation with Public Health England.

Department for International Trade

Balance of Trade: Tunisia

Lord Patten: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the current balance of trade between the UK and Tunisia; and what assessment they have made of whether such economic activity will increasefollowing the UK's departure from the EU.

Lord Grimstone of Boscobel: Total trade between the United Kingdom and Tunisia was £506m in the four quarters to the end of Q2 2020, with a surplus to the United Kingdom of £38m. At the end of the transition period, we brought into effect the United Kingdom-Tunisia Association Agreement, which secures preferential bilateral trading arrangements, allowing British and Tunisian businesses and consumers to benefit from continued preferential access to each market. Looking ahead, this agreement is a clear signal of our enduring commitment to our close bilateral relationship with Tunisia and will help strengthen trade and investment ties in the future.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Bahrain: Visits Abroad

Lord Scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the statement issued by the government of Bahrain on 27 December labelling reports relating to concerns raised over the Home Secretary’s visit to Muharraq Governorate Police in Bahrain as “misinformation… targeted at impacting the reputation and achievements of Bahrain’s human rights record”.

Lord Scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that (1) torture, and (2) cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, has occurred in the Muharraq Security Complex in Bahrain; and whether they received any such reports (a) through the Torture and Mistreatment Reporting Guidance, published in March 2011, or (b) through public representations or records.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The British Government welcomes the clarification from the government of Bahrain and its commitment to continue to address concerns about its human rights record. When making assessments, published in our annual human rights report, we take note of a number of sources of information and continue to monitor closely developments on all matters that relate to human rights within the country. The Home Secretary's visit to the Muharraq police station allowed her to see their approach to community policing, an important area of development.

British Nationals Abroad: Coronavirus

Lord Risby: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to record and certify vaccinations given to UK nationals abroad.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: There are no plans to record vaccinations given to UK nationals abroad.

Israel: Palestinians

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the statement by B'Tselem on 1 January 2020 that "in 2019, Israeli security forces killed 133 Palestinians, including 28 minors"; and what steps they have taken in response to that statement.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Government is very concerned at the high numbers of Palestinians, including children, killed by Israel Defense Forces in the West Bank and Gaza. We regularly raise the issue with the Israeli authorities, encouraging them to carry out transparent investigations into whether the use of live fire had been appropriate. We continue to stress the importance of the Israeli security forces providing appropriate protection to the Palestinian civilian population, in particular the need to protect children, and urge restraint in the use of live fire.

Gaza: Borders

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that the Israel Defence Force fire machine guns in the border areas of the Gaza Strip when there is low visibility due to fog in order to deter any attempt by those wishing to infiltrate the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We are deeply concerned by the situation in Gaza. The UK has repeatedly made clear to Israel our longstanding concerns about the manner in which the Israel Defence Forces police the border areas, including use of live ammunition. We will continue to do so.

Issa Amro

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the conviction of Issa Amro by a military court in Israel.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Officials from our Consulate-General in Jerusalem attended Mr Amro's court hearing on 6 January. The UK remains concerned about the challenges facing human rights defenders and human rights organisations operating in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. We continue to urge the Israeli Government to fully respect the fundamental rights and freedoms of human rights defenders and organisations. We have also raised concerns with the Palestinian Authority about the narrowing of space for civil society to operate in the West Bank.

Convention for the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the obligation contained in the UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide to enact legislationthat gives effect to that Convention and to provide effective penalties for persons guilty of genocide; what legislative measures, if any, they have taken to meet that obligation; and whether they consider trade sanctions an effective penalty against states accused of genocide.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: As a party to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, the UK is fully committed to the prevention and punishment of genocide under the convention. The UK has enacted legislation to give effect to the convention. In particular, the International Criminal Court Act 2001 provides that it is an offence for a person to commit genocide, in the UK, or for a UK national or resident to commit genocide anywhere in the world.

Slavery

Baroness Coussins: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans, if any, they have to ask British embassies to designate an official with special responsibility for modern slavery, focussing on supply chains forexports to the UK and the operations of UK companies overseas.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Many British Embassies and High Commissions already have a focus on modern slavery including supply chain aspects where appropriate. This Government is committed to eliminating modern slavery from our communities and the global economy, and in 2019 appointed the UK's first International Modern Slavery and Migration Envoy to help drive forwards our efforts in partnership with other Governments and multilateral organisations. Section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 requires businesses to report on how they are tackling modern slavery in their operations and supply chains. Section 54 was designed to empower consumers, investors, civil society and others to scrutinise the action that businesses are taking to identify and address modern slavery in their supply chains.The Government has committed to strengthening the legislation. Our response to the transparency in supply chains consultation, published on 22 September 2020, announced an ambitious package of changes to Section 54, including introducing specific reporting topics and requiring statements to be published by a single reporting deadline on a central Government-run registry, to enable the Government and others to continuously monitor compliance. In addition, the Government announced in the week of 11 January that it will introduce financial penalties for organisations that do not comply with the reporting requirements under the Modern Slavery Act. These measures require primary legislation and will be introduced when parliamentary time allows.

Torture

Lord Scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Torture and Mistreatment Reporting Guidance, published in March 2011, has been updated since its publication; if not, whether any equivalent guidance has replaced it; and if so, what plans they have to place a copy of any such (1) updated, or (2) new, guidance in the Library of the House.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK Government unreservedly condemns the use of torture. We work closely with international partners to eradicate this abhorrent practice. The UK does not participate in, solicit, encourage or condone the use of torture for any purpose.The UK takes all allegations and concerns about torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment very seriously. The Torture and Mistreatment Reporting Guidance of 2011 sets out the process for FCDO staff and other staff working in Her Majesty's diplomatic missions and offices for reporting information about torture and mistreatment. There are no immediate plans to update the guidance.

Office of the High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina

Baroness Helic: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government ofGermany about the future of the Office of the High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina, and in particular the replacement of Valentin Inzko.

Baroness Helic: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the governments of (1) France, (2) Italy, and (3) the United States, about the future of the Office of the High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina, and in particular the replacement of Valentin Inzko.

Baroness Helic: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that the governments of Germany and Russia have bilaterally agreed to replace the current High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2021 with a German candidate.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Office of the High Representative continues to have an important role to play in ensuring a stable future for Bosnia and Herzegovina. It has the United Kingdom's full support. We have been approached by international partner governments, including Germany, about the possible replacement of Valentin Inzko as High Representative. We are in contact with France, Germany, Italy, and the United States on this matter. Our shared priority is the success of Bosnia and Herzegovina and all its citizens. Any change of High Representative would be subject to a formal appointment process and would ultimately be the decision of the Peace Implementation Council (PIC). As Russia is also a PIC member, they would be part of any process. It would be inappropriate to speculate about discussions between Germany and Russia on this subject.

Gibraltar: Borders

Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton: To ask Her Majesty's Government who will be responsible for border checks at points of entry to Gibraltar.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK, working side by side with the Governments of Gibraltar and Spain, reached agreement on 31 December over a political framework to form the basis of a separate treaty between the UK and the EU regarding Gibraltar. The political framework covers issues of key importance to Gibraltar and the surrounding region, including on border fluidity, and provides a firm basis to safeguard Gibraltar's interests. We have sent this framework to the European Commission in order to initiate negotiations on the treaty.

Palestinians: Coronavirus

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the statement by Amnesty International on 6 January that "the Israeli government must stop ignoring its international obligations as an occupying power and immediately act to ensure that COVID-19 vaccines are equally and fairly provided to Palestinians living under its occupation in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip"; and what steps they are taking in response to that statement.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We recognise that under International Humanitarian Law, Israel, as the occupying power, has the duty of ensuring and maintaining public health and hygiene, to the fullest extent of the means available to it, including in relation to combating the spread of contagious diseases and epidemics, in the OPTs. We also recognise the Palestinian Authority's responsibilities for vaccinations under the Oslo Accords (under Article 17). We welcome the steps that the parties have taken so far to coordinate responses to the COVID-19 pandemic, and encourage further dialogue in this regard. The UK regularly engages with both the Government of Israel and Palestinian Authority and will continue to raise timely and appropriate access to COVID-19 vaccines.

Tigray: Refugees

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what actionthey aretaking to end the forced repatriation of refugees to Eritrea from refugee camps in Tigray; and what assessment they have made of (1) reports of armed attacks onthose refugee camps; and (2) of the humanitarian needs of the refugees in those camps.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We are concerned at reports that Eritrean troops have entered Ethiopian refugee camps in Tigray and forced a number of refugees to return to Eritrea. Due to the lack of access to northern refugee camps in Tigray for humanitarian agencies, including the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), it has not yet been possible to fully corroborate these reports. We have however, raised our concerns with Ministers in both governments, making clear the overriding need to protect civilians and adhere to international law and international human rights law. We continue to call for independent, international, investigations into allegations of human right abuses and violations, and that the perpetrators of those incidents that are proven are held to account, whoever they may be.The UK continues to call for sustained, free and unfettered humanitarian access across Tigray, so that the UNHCR can uphold its mandate towards refugees. It is the responsibility of the host state to ensure refugees are protected and are not subjected to forcible return.

Ethiopia: Homicide

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessmentthey have made of reportsof a mass killingon 15 December 2020 at the Mariam of Zion church in Aksum, Ethiopia.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We are shocked and saddened by further reports from Tigray of massacres of civilians, sexual violence, and attacks on humanitarian facilities and places of worship. An ongoing lack of access to the Tigray region for humanitarian agencies, means that it remains difficult to fully corroborate these reports, but we will continue to try to do so. We have however made clear our concerns with Ethiopian Ministers, and underlined the overriding need to protect civilians and adhere to international law and international human rights law. We continue to call for independent, international, investigations into allegations of human right abuses and violations, and that the perpetrators of those incidents that are proven are held to account, whoever they may be. The UK continues to call for sustained, free and unfettered humanitarian access across Tigray

Ministry of Defence

Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft

Lord West of Spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the statement by the Prime Minister on the Integrated Review of Foreign, Defence, Security and Development policy on 19 November (HC Deb, col 495), how many F-35B combat aircraft could be embarked in a national emergency on each of the two new carriers by 2023.

Baroness Goldie: It has been longstanding policy that by bringing two aircraft carriers into service we will ensure that there will always be at least one carrier available 100 per cent of the time, either at sea or in port at very high readiness to deploy. The Carrier Enabled Power Projection (CEPP) programme remains on track to deliver the second operational squadron of F-35 by December 2023. This will provide two squadrons (a total of up to 24 aircraft) available to embark as directed by operational tasking.

Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft

Lord West of Spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether personnel in squadrons of F35B combat aircraft embarked in the carriers will be working to the same harmony rules.

Baroness Goldie: Jointly manned UK Lightning air squadrons will operate to the same harmony guidelines. The overall principle is that we will manage all embarked UK air squadrons - which will include Fixed and Rotary Wing forces and personnel from all three Services - to ensure that the different harmony guidelines which the Services routinely apply, do not adversely affect operational output.

Armed Forces: Misconduct

Baroness Stern: To ask Her Majesty's Government what are (1) the terms of reference, and (2) timelines, for the judge-led review into how allegations of wrongdoing by military personnel are raised and investigated, announced in October 2020; andwhat opportunities will be provided for parliamentarians, experts, and civil society to feed into the review.

Baroness Goldie: The Review, which is due to report by the summer, was commissioned by the Government to ensure that we have the most up-to date and future-proof skills and processes in place to investigate and, where appropriate prosecute, cases where serious allegations of criminal wrong-doing are made against UK forces on operations overseas. Where necessary, improvements will be made. Whilst there is no formal consultation process in place, it will be for the Judge to decide who can best help him with the review. A copy of the Terms of Reference for the Review is attached to this answer.Judge Led Review Terms of Reference (docx, 25.0KB)

Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft

Lord West of Spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to form a (1) third, and (2) fourth, F35B combat aircraft squadron.

Baroness Goldie: The guiding principle of the Integrated Review is to identify the threat and the appropriate capability to meet it. Any decisions on the future direction of the Lightning programme as a result of the Integrated Review will be firmly based on those principles.

Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft

Lord West of Spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether48 F35B combat aircraft would meet the requirement for 35 embarked aircraft that were originally considered essential for initial war-entry Carrier Strike operations.

Baroness Goldie: 48 Lightning aircraft will be available when the Carrier Enabled Power Projection Full Operational Capability milestone is reached in 2026. The future composition of the UK Lightning Force will be determined by the requirements identified in the Integrated Review.

Armed Forces: Sexual Offences

Lord Touhig: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many cases relating to sexual assault have faced trial in military courts in each year since 2010; and how many of these cases have resulted in (1) guilty and (2) not guilty verdicts.

Baroness Goldie: The Ministry of Defence has made it absolutely clear there is no place for unacceptable behaviour in the Armed Forces. We recognise the great courage it takes to come forward and report a sexual offence and Commanding Officers must always refer any allegation of rape and sexual assault, or any other offence which may have a sexual element, to the Service Police. All allegations are thoroughly investigated, and support provided to victims. Anyone found to fall short of the Services’ high standards or to have committed an offence is dealt with appropriately, which may include imprisonment and dismissal from service. Starting from 2016, Defence has published an annual Official Statistic on Sexual Offending in the Service Justice System, currently covering the years 2015 to 2019: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/sexual-offences-in-the-service-justice-systemInformation for 2020 is due to be published in spring 2021. The following table provides a summary of those statistics, covering all sexual offending in the Service Justice System:   Year No. of Individuals Court Martialled (Sexual Offences)No. of Defendants Not GuiltyNo. of Defendants Guilty20195942172018553321201780572920165131222015512421Table notes: Sexual offences as defined within sections 1 to 3, 5 to 15A, 16 to 25, 66 and 67 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 (or its historical equivalent) and section 15 of the Sexual Offences Act 1956. The total number of individuals Court Martialled for sexual offences will not always equal the sum of the guilty and not guilty in each year as some cases were discontinued. Also, some defendants faced more than one charge and each of these charges will have a guilty/not guilty count in the corresponding column, resulting in more verdicts than defendants in some cases. Comparable information for the years 2010 to 2014 has not been published as an Official Statistic, but information held by the Service Police covering rape and sexual assault cases and convictions in the Military Court Service between 2010 – 2013 has been published in answer to a Parliamentary Question:https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201314/cmhansrd/cm140407/text/140407w0003.htm

Qatar: Military Bases

Lord Patten: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on their relations with the government of Qatar of the presence of a Turkish military base in Qatar; and whether UK armed forces undertake any activitywith the Turkish military stationed in Qatar.

Baroness Goldie: The UK and Qatar share an enduring defence partnership, most notably through a joint Typhoon squadron. The UK and Turkey also have a longstanding and strong bilateral defence relationship. We look forward to continued collaboration with all our friends in the Gulf to strengthen our shared security interests. UK Armed Forces do not undertake activity with the Turkish military stationed in Qatar.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Neonicotinoids

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further (1) to the objections of the Wildlife Trust, and (2) to the statements from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Health Organization, about the reported harmful effects of the pesticide neonicotinoid thiamethoxam, what plans they havereverse their decision to allow the use of products containing that pesticide.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The Government continues to support the existing restrictions on neonicotinoids. The Government has always been clear that it can consider applications for emergency authorisations, as defined by the legislation. An emergency authorisation will only be granted where the relevant statutory requirements are met. These are that use of the pesticide is necessary because of a danger which cannot be contained by any other reasonable means, that use is limited and controlled and that there are special circumstances. If these requirements are met, the Government considers whether the benefits of use outweigh any risks to people or to the environment.After careful consideration of all the issues, the Government has decided to grant an application for emergency authorisation to allow use of Cruiser SB (containing the neonicotinoid thiamethoxam) for the treatment of sugar beet seed in 2021. The authorisation has been issued for the 2021 sugar beet crop only. Use of Cruiser SB or a similar product in any subsequent years would require the submission of a further application. If any further applications are made in the future, they will be fully assessed against the regulatory framework for emergency authorisations.Sugar beet is a non-flowering crop and the risks to bees from the sugar beet crop itself were assessed to be acceptable. Risks to bees were identified arising from soil residues taken up by flowering weeds or following crops. Mitigation measures were therefore built into the requirements of the emergency authorisation. These included a reduced application rate, effective control of weeds and minimum periods set between the planting of treated sugar beet and a subsequent flowering crop. For most crops this period was set at 22 months but a longer period of 32 months was chosen for oilseed rape as it is particularly attractive to bees.Under EU legislation Member States may grant emergency authorisations in exceptional circumstances. The UK’s approach to the use of emergency authorisations has not changed as a result of the UK’s exit from the EU. Ten EU countries including Belgium, Denmark and Spain have granted emergency authorisations for neonicotinoid seed treatments since 2018.

Sugar Beet: Neonicotinoids

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the process of approving the use of neonicotinoid pesticides for sugar beet seed included assessments of the (1) general human health, (2) obesity, and (3) dietary, impacts of the crop on which they were proposed to be used; and, if so, what were the conclusions of these assessments.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The process for considering emergency authorisation for a pesticide is derived from the legislation. This process was followed for the application to use the neonicotinoid seed treatment Cruiser SB on sugar beet in 2021. This included an assessment of the risks to people and to the environment that may result from use of the product. This assessment, which considers risks to people from pesticide residues associated with eating treated crops, did not identify any concerns about risks to human health. The assessment did not extend to consideration of the impacts of the crop, for example on obesity.

Sugar Beet: Neonicotinoids

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the decision to approve a neonicotinoid pesticide for use on sugar beet seed on (1) the population numbers and population health of bees and other pollinators, (2) soil health and loss, (3) other insects, (4) fish and other water-dwelling species, and (5) other species of animals.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The process for considering emergency authorisation for a pesticide is derived from the legislation and includes consideration of potential risks to people and to the environment. This process was followed for application to use the neonicotinoid seed treatment Cruiser SB on sugar beet in 2021. The assessment of risks included consideration of risks to bees, other insects, soil organisms, fish, aquatic invertebrates, birds and mammals. Risks to bees were identified arising from soil residues taken up by flowering weeds or following crops. Mitigation measures were therefore built into the requirements of the emergency authorisation. These included a reduced application rate, effective control of weeds and minimum periods set between the planting of treated sugar beet and a subsequent flowering crop. For most crops this period was set at 22 months but a longer period of 32 months was chosen for oilseed rape as it is particularly attractive to bees

Food: Imports

Lord Greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government (1) whether they plan to reduce the amount of food imported to the UK, (2) if so, what their target is for such a reduction, and (3) how they plan to achieve any such reduction.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: Our food security depends on supply from diverse sources, strong domestic production as well as imports from stable sources. We produce 64% of our entire food supply need, and that increases to 77% for indigenous food that we can grow or rear here in the UK for all or part of the year. These figures have been steady over the past 20 years. UK consumers have access through international trade to food products that cannot be produced here, or at least not on a year-round basis. This supplements our excellent domestic production, and also ensures that any disruption from risks such as adverse weather or disease does not affect the UK’s overall security of supply.

Flood Control: Somerset

Lord Patten: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the performance of flood prevention and mitigation measures in Somerset in 2020.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The Environment Agency's (EA) top priority has been to maintain flood defence assets to ensure communities in Somerset and across England are incident ready and resilient for potential flooding this winter. The EA has strengthened working arrangements with the support of delivery partners in response to the Coronavirus pandemic.The EA's flood risk assets have performed satisfactorily across Somerset. During 2020 the EA operated coastal flood defences to protect people, properties and low lying land in Somerset. The risk from seasonal wet weather in October and most of December for the most part was managed without issue although it meant catchments were very wet. However, both Storm Alex and Storm Bella, sadly resulted in flooding.During Storm Alex, over 100mm of rain (more than the monthly average of rain) fell in two days on the steep sided upper reaches of the River Sheppey and this resulted in flooding at Croscombe and Shepton Mallett (initial estimates are that 20 properties flooded in total). Roads were also flooded from surface water. This is a complex flooding issue and the EA is assisting Somerset County Council with its Section 19 investigation (Flood and Water Management Act) into the cause, likelihood of recurrence and need for measures to reduce the risk.Over Christmas, Storm Bella on wet, saturated catchments generated rivers flows in excess of the River Parrett and Tone's capacity. This passed into the adjacent flood plains and moors, Currymoor, Haymoor, Wetmoor, Westmoor Allermoor and the King's Sedgemoor Drain. Using these areas as water storage is an established approach and has been a frequent and normal winter occurrence over many decades.The EA has been using its pumps and other assets to reduce river levels, and clear water from the moors, making use of the enhanced pumping capacity at Currymoor pumping station.

Air Pollution and Environment Protection

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans, if any, they have to reduce air pollution in addition to the measures in the Environment Bill.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: Our Clean Air Strategy sets out an ambitious programme of action to reduce air pollutant emissions from a wide range of sources. We have also put in place a £3.8 billion plan to tackle roadside nitrogen dioxide concentrations. We have also implemented the Medium Combustion Plant Directive which will help to reduce air pollution by bringing in emission controls for plant used to generate heat and power for large buildings and industrial processes, as well as for power generation Together these measures will significantly reduce the impact of emissions from pollution sources on the environment and public health.

Waste Disposal: Sri Lanka

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of Sri Lanka about the 21 waste containers that were returned from that country to the UK in September 2020.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The Environment Agency (EA), as the waste shipments regulator for England, is proactively engaging with the authorities in Sri Lanka about containers of waste illegally exported to Sri Lanka in 2017 and is leading the response on this matter. The containers were found by Sri Lankan authorities to contain illegal materials, described as mattresses and carpets, which had been exported for recycling. The 21 containers queried arrived back in England on Wednesday 28 October 2020 and are part of a shipment totalling 263 containers which are being returned. The Environment Agency estimate that by February 2021, 133 containers will have been returned to England in total. The Environment Agency will continue to work with the Sri Lankan authorities to expedite the return of the remaining waste. Environment Agency enforcement officers are working to confirm the types of waste shipped, who exported it and the producer of the waste. Those responsible could face a custodial sentence of up to two years, an unlimited fine, and the recovery of money and assets gained through the course of their criminal activity. Despite media reports suggesting that medical waste was illegally shipped from England to Sri Lanka, the EA has not received any indication or evidence from the Sri Lankan authorities to corroborate those reports.

Bovine Tuberculosis: Disease Control

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent steps they have taken to implement the recommendations of the report by Sir Charles GodfrayA strategy for achieving Bovine Tuberculosis Free Status for England: 2018 Review, published on 13 November 2018.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: In March 2020, the Government published its response to Professor Sir Charles Godfray’s 2018 review of England’s bovine TB (bTB) eradication strategy. Sir Charles’ review set out a number of potential options for the future. The Government response sets out our top priorities for the next five years. The steps we have taken in 2020 to start to deliver this next phase of the strategy include: Accelerating our cattle vaccination work by appointing a Clinical Research Organisation to run cattle vaccination field trials. The aim of these trials is to support applications for UK marketing authorisations of the vaccine and a test to detect infected animals among vaccinated animals. Evolving our badger control policy, including tendering for a farmer-delivered project in East Sussex to vaccinate badgers against TB, and publishing a map showing the estimated distribution of TB infection in badgers in England’s bTB Edge Area. Improving our TB testing programme, through awarding £500,000 funding for innovative research to diagnose bTB more quickly, and starting to increase the default frequency of mandatory surveillance TB testing of cattle across England’s bTB High Risk Area from annual to every six-months, with some exceptions for lower risk herds. Evolving and strengthening partnership working though recruiting for a new Bovine TB Partnership to replace the existing Bovine TB Eradication Advisory Group for England. Work is ongoing and we plan to announce further steps in due course.

Home Office

Offences against Children

Lord Patten: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made, if any, of the response by different faith groups in England and Wales to historic cases of child abuse.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: In 2015, the Government set up the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) to consider the extent to which institutions in England and Wales have failed in their duty to protect children from sexual abuse and exploitation. The Inquiry operates independently of Government and decides for itself what it investigates and how. As part of its work programme, the Inquiry held three investigations into child sexual abuse in religious institutions:The Inquiry held an investigation into the extent of any institutional failures to protect children from sexual abuse within the Anglican Church in England and the Church in Wales. The investigation considered the adequacy of the Past Cases Review of the Church of England and the Historic Cases Review of the Church in Wales. It considered two case studies: The Diocese of Chichester, where there have been multiple allegations of sexual abuse, and numerous investigations and reviews; and the case of Peter Ball, formerly Bishop of Lewes and subsequently Bishop of Gloucester. This investigation is now complete and a report setting out the Inquiry’s findings was published in October 2020, and can be found here: https://www.iicsa.org.uk/publications/investigation/anglican-churchSeparately, the Inquiry investigated the extent of any institutional failures to protect children from sexual abuse within the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales. The Inquiry examined the English Benedictine Congregation and the Archdiocese of Birmingham, which have been the subject of numerous allegations of child sexual abuse. This investigation is now complete and a report with the Inquiry’s findings and recommendations was published in November 2020, and can be found here: https://www.iicsa.org.uk/publications/investigation/roman-catholic-churchMore recently, the Inquiry investigated the current child protection policies, practices and procedures in religious institutions that have a significant presence in England and Wales, including non-conformist Christian denominations, the Jehovah’s Witnesses, Baptists, Methodists, Islam, Judaism, Sikhism, Hinduism and Buddhism. The public hearing into this investigation concluded in August 2020. An investigation report will be published in summer 2021, and more details can be found here: https://www.iicsa.org.uk/investigation/child-protection-religious-organisations-and-settings

Police and Crime Commissioners: Reviews

Lord Wasserman: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 29 October (HL9388), when they plan to publish the report of part one of the internal review of the Police and Crime Commissioner model.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Review of the role of Police and Crime Commissioners was an internal Review which reported to the Home Secretary in October 2020. The Review’s final set of recommendations will be announced in due course.

Coronavirus: Disease Control

Lord Blencathra: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on public compliance with the restrictions in place to address the COVID-19 pandemic of the guidance issued by theNational Police Chiefs’ Council relating to the enforcement of those restrictions.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: Throughout the pandemic, the Home Office has worked closely with operational partners to ensure they have the powers, resources and guidance they need to enforce the law. The enforcement of the restrictions is an operational matter for police forces, and officers will continue to use their common sense, discretion and experience in enforcing the law.The vast majority of the public have followed the guidelines throughout the pandemic, and that remains the case. However, the police can take steps to enforce the rules where a minority of the public do not comply. As they have done throughout the pandemic, the police apply a four-step escalation method - engaging, explaining and encouraging compliance before taking enforcement action.Latest data published by the NPCC on 8 January shows that a total of 28,744 fixed penalty notices have been recorded as having been issued in England under Coronavirus Regulations between Friday 27 March and Monday 21 December.

Coronavirus: Disease Control

Lord Blencathra: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Home Office discussed the guidance issued by the National Police Chiefs' Council in relation to the "engaging, explaining, encouraging and enforcing" strategy prior to that guidance being issued.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: Throughout the pandemic, the Home Office has worked closely with operational partners including the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) to ensure that police forces across the country have the powers and guidance required to effectively enforce restrictions.The police in the UK have always policed by consent. The four Es guidance was introduced in spring 2020 to help policing provide a measured and consistent approach during this unprecedented situation. The College of Policing has produced a range of resources to explain the new powers and to help forces across the country in their response to COVID-19.

National Police Chiefs' Council

Lord Blencathra: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the National Police Chiefs' Council has any legal authority to issue guidance on the interpretation of thelaw.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The NPCC enables operationally independent and locally accountable Chief Constables to co-ordinate the work of the police in order to protect the public.This can include providing guidance to forces on new and amended legislation. The NPCC’s governance structure agreement does not supersede or vary the legal requirements of the office of constable and it is recognised that a Chief Constables remains operationally independent.

Coronavirus: Disease Control

Lord Blencathra: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether theHome Secretary has raised any concerns with police forces about the targeting of individuals to enforce the restrictions in place to address the COVID-19 pandemic instead of large groups, includingraves and demonstrations.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: Throughout the pandemic, the Home Office has worked closely with police forces to ensure they have the powers and guidance required to effectively enforce restrictions and maintain public order. In response to individuals or groups who repeatedly flout the rules or are responsible for the most blatant and egregious breaches, the police will continue to engage, explain and encourage. They will not hesitate to move to enforcement action where necessary.The enforcement of restrictions remains an operational matter for individual forces, and we expect officers to continue to use their common sense, discretion and professional judgement in enforcing regulations.

Cabinet Office

Government Communication Service

Lord Goodlad: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have received about the Reshaping Government Communication Service programme; from whom they have received such representations; and what have been their responses.

Lord True: The Reshaping Government Communication Service programme will further strengthen and unify the Government Communication Service (GCS), making an effective and efficient service.Cabinet Office is leading the programme and working closely with ministerial departments and other public sector bodies.

Third Sector

Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have for the establishment ofthe Civil Society Forum, as provided for in theUK–EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement.

Lord True: The Government is considering how to take forward obligations and commitments under the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement. Announcements will be made in the usual way.

Treasury

Business: Coronavirus

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure thatsmall businesses can access COVID-19 financial support schemes.

Lord Agnew of Oulton: Throughout this crisis, the government has sought to protect people’s jobs and livelihoods while also supporting businesses and public services across the UK. To do this, the government has put in place an economic package of support which will provide businesses and individuals with certainty over the coming months, even as measures to prevent further spread of the virus change. The government has spent over £280 billion this year to provide this support. In response to the latest restrictions, the Chancellor announced further support to businesses on top of those adopted at the Covid-19 Winter Plan and our previous economic responses. These support measures are carefully designed to complement each other to ensure we protect jobs and livelihoods. This support includes a new one-off grant of up to £9,000 to support businesses in England which are legally required to close. This comes in addition to the existing monthly grants for closed businesses of up to £3,000 per month. Local authorities will also receive an additional £500m, to a total of £1.6bn, of discretionary funding to allow them to support their local businesses.In order to support businesses to retain their employees and protect the UK economy, the Chancellor has extended both the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) and the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) until the end of April 2021. HMRC have supported businesses to access the CJRS by communicating directly with employers, running over 400 live webinars, and ensuring that online support via gov.uk is updated regularly. Businesses have also received billions in loans, tax deferrals, Business Rate reliefs, and general and sector-specific grants. And individuals and families have benefited from increased welfare payments, enhanced statutory sick pay, a stay on repossession proceedings and mortgage holidays.

Hospitality Industry: VAT

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to extend the reducedValue Added Taxrate for the hospitality industry.

Lord Agnew of Oulton: The temporary VAT reduced rate came into effect on 15 July 2020 and was initially scheduled to end on 12 January 2021. In order to continue supporting the cash flow and viability of over 150,000 businesses and to protect 2.4 million jobs, the Government extended the temporary reduced rate of VAT (5 per cent) to goods and services supplied by the tourism and hospitality sectors until 31 March 2021. While the Government keeps all taxes under review, this relief comes at a significant cost to the Exchequer, and there are currently no plans to extend the length of the reduced rate further.

Employment: Coronavirus

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of workers who are not eligible for any COVID-19 financial support; and what steps they are taking to reduce that number.

Lord Agnew of Oulton: Throughout the crisis, the Government’s priority has been to protect people’s jobs and livelihoods. Since the start of the pandemic the Government has committed over £280 billion to supporting the economy, including supporting 9.9 million jobs through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) and about 2.7 million self-employed individuals via the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS). The Government has continued to review its support and brought in ineligible groups where possible. For example, the extended Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) is available to those directors who paid themselves a salary between 19 March and 30 October 2020, and to new starters who were employed and on their employer’s PAYE payroll on 30 October 2020. Both the CJRS and SEISS have also been updated to provide support to those on maternity leave and to reservists. The Government continues to work closely with stakeholders to explore how it can best support different groups. Those who are ineligible for the CJRS and SEISS may still be eligible for other elements of the COVID-19 support available. This substantial package of support includes Bounce Back loans, tax deferrals, rental support and other business support grants. The Government has also temporarily increased the Universal Credit standard allowance for 2020-21 by £20 per week and relaxed the Minimum Income Floor, meaning that where claimants' earnings have significantly fallen, their Universal Credit award will have increased to reflect their lower earnings.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Gardens and Listed Buildings: Coronavirus

Lord Patten: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many listed historic houses and gardens have been supported with grants from the Heritage Lottery Fund for recovery and business continuity purposes.

Baroness Barran: The Cultural Recovery Fund for Heritage has been jointly coordinated by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Heritage England. In the first round of funding, 277 awards were made to historic areas, buildings and monuments, totalling £49,486,500.At least 15% of these awards were made directly to historic houses and gardens, including Blenheim Palace, which received £1,896,000.The second round of funding is now live. Listed historic houses and gardens can apply for grants that will support reopening to the public in the late spring.

Visas: Performing Arts

Baroness Bonham-Carter of Yarnbury: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they had with the EU during their negotiations relating to the UK–EU Trade and Cooperation Agreementabout visa arrangements for (1) UK performing artists touring the EU, and (2) performing artists from the EU touring the UK.

Baroness Barran: I refer the Noble Baroness to the Secretary of State’s answer to Written Question 135862 on 14th January.

Golf: Coronavirus

Lord Moynihan: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to publish the evidence on which they based their policy to only allow two-ball golf matches to be played during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Baroness Barran: Sports and physical activity including golf are incredibly important for our physical and mental health, and are a vital weapon against coronavirus.On Monday 4 January the Prime Minister announced a national lockdown and instructed people to stay at home to control the virus, protect the NHS and save lives. The National Restrictions are designed to get the R rate under control through limiting social contact and reducing transmissions. All decisions made by the Government relating to the pandemic and sport have been based on advice and guidance from health and scientific experts. We have no plans to publish the evidence for individual decisions relating to specific sports.You can continue to exercise alone, with one other person or with your household or support bubble. This should be limited to once per day, in a public outdoor place and you should not travel outside your local area. You should maintain social distancing. Indoor and outdoor sports facilities, including golf courses, must close.